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A European proposal to scrap best-before dates on jam, pickles, rice, pasta,
hard cheese and coffee could lead to even more waste, says the government.

The rule change is being proposed by a group of EU states led by the
Netherlands and is intended to cut the amount of edible food that is thrown
away.

Under the plan, manufacturers would no longer have to put a best-before date
on foods that people keep in their cupboards for a long time. Sharon
Dijksma, the Dutch agriculture minister, said: “The labels have nothing to
do with safety but with quality. We think